Four Days of Celestino
by Betty BOKOR
Summary: SamDaniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend and everything turns out in a very different way than they expected.
1. Chapter 1

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – I. Day One** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day One**

**Chapter 1**

"The World's Shortest Saint Patrick's Parade?" Cam asked again with a quasi-cynical smile as he held the fax in his hands.

"Yep," Daniel said as he neatly piled folders on a corner of his desk.

"You know, Jackson, I understand that you're one of General O'Neill's closest friends, but… _'The World's Shortest Saint Patrick's Parade?'_ Isn't that a little bit too much to endure in the name of friendship?" He smiled again.

"Need I remind you that you've been invited, too, Mitchell, and that you should be participating in this as willingly as Sam and I are?"

"Oh, no. I'm going home. There's a plate of the hottest barbecue in the south waiting for me."

"Chopped pork?"

"The best in town."

"I'm not so certain your fate is better than mine. We should have followed Teal'c's example and gone somewhere with a nice beach."

"Where exactly is he going? I still have some trouble getting the guy to talk."

Daniel smiled in commiseration. He knew Teal'c liked the new commander of SG-1, but he was sure it would take much longer for him to show it in a clear way. "George Hammond had to give a lecture in Eglin, Florida, and he thought Teal'c would enjoy a trip to a different state. He's been here for almost ten years and he hasn't visited much of the country. Eglin is a safe place. Besides, he needs some time without us," he smiled.

"Well, he doesn't look like he needs new friends," Cameron smiled, too. He was amazed by the deep bond his teammates shared. "But going back to my initial question, how did O'Neill convince the two of you to spend your only free weekend in who knows how long driving through Colorado?"

"It's not that bad. Boulder is only a hundred miles from here. If we don't get into heavy traffic, we can be there in less than two hours."

"So, did he blackmail you with some terrible secret?" Cam jokingly tried again.

"He didn't need to blackmail us. We all miss him and he said he wanted to spend some time with us. We're only sorry that Teal'c had already accepted Hammond's offer. We would have also liked you to come."

"Thanks, but I really need to see my family. I've been in dangerous situations before, but this is beyond anything else. I just need to check up on them, in case one of these days we don't come back. It seems that as soon as we deal with a threat, a bigger and meaner one comes along."

"I understand."

"Yeah. Well, I'll see you on Monday morning. Have a great trip!"

"You, too," Daniel answered. A second later, the telephone rang.


	2. Chapter 2

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – I. Day One** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day One**

**Chapter 2**

"I can't believe we couldn't get out of there until now," Sam said as they merged onto I-25. "It's 10:20 already. We'll be lucky if we get there by midnight."

"It's all right, Sam," Daniel said as he checked the truck behind them in the rear view mirror. "Jack will be there already and he'll have everything under control. We just need to check in the hotel and go to sleep. Tomorrow we'll have time to talk and have fun together. I'm pretty much dead by now."

"Yeah, I'm tired, too. There's always something going on. There's no respite." She looked at him and asked, "Would you like me to drive?"

"No, don't worry. I'll be fine, but don't talk to me after we pass the hotel doors. I'll be already sleepwalking," he smiled.

Sam smiled, too. "Did Jack tell you if the Conor O'Neill from the pub in Boulder was from his family?"

"No, he didn't. I don't think so. I think he just chose it because he liked the name. You know him."

"Yeah, I know. Did he tell you anything else?"

"He just said that there's this one-block Saint Patrick's parade and that it has been happening for more than twenty years. It must be a long block because the parade crosses the Downtown Mall. They even have bleachers for the spectators. Last year it snowed all the way and they still did it. I checked on the Internet and it said that there would be some Irish dancers and bagpipe bands in it and then during the day in the pub. "

"Sounds good."

"Yep."

By the time they drove by Denver, Sam was already sleeping by Daniel's side. She had tried hard to stay awake and keep up a conversation with him, but she was too tired. Daniel smiled softly as he saw her peacefully resting against the side door. Probably nobody could ever imagine the things she had seen or what she had gone through in the last years. And it was not getting better.

When he finally got onto Walnut Avenue in downtown Boulder, he decided to wake her up. He was sure she would like to have the chance to fix her make-up or straighten her clothes before they saw Jack. When he stopped at the next traffic light, he gently patted her arm and woke her up. A few minutes later they were parking in front of the hotel Jack had chosen. Daniel was astonished. The impressive four-story building in front of them in no way resembled the usual inns Jack had picked to stay in during their few trips together. The large structure, inspired by the Arts and Crafts era, was imposing.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" Sam asked as she got out of the car.

Daniel double-checked because he was starting to have doubts, too. "Yes, it's the right one," he said after he looked at the small card he had taken out of his pocket. "Saint Julien, that's what it says here."

"Spa?" Sam asked as she read the sign at the entrance of the hotel.

They both looked at each other in amusement and went into the foyer. They approached the counter and Daniel introduced himself to the employee behind it.

"Good evening. My name is Daniel Jackson," he began.

"Oh, Doctor Jackson, we've been waiting for you. General O'Neill left us precise instructions to take care of you and your wife," the employee interjected.

"He did?" Daniel asked. He looked at the nameplate on the other man's jacket and said. "Excuse me, Mr. Righel. You mean he's already left or he hasn't arrived yet?"

Righel smiled. "I'm afraid General O'Neill will be unable to accompany you on this occasion, but he left a message for both of you in your room."

Daniel looked at Sam bewildered and suddenly remembered what the gentleman had said. "My wife?" he asked.

Righel turned slightly and looked at Sam. "Mr. Jones will take care of your luggage, Colonel Jackson."

Sam allowed an older gentleman who had approached her to take her luggage away. She was far too dumbfounded to protest.

"Follow me, please," he said as he turned around with the few bags Sam and Daniel had brought.

"Anything you need, you can call me," Righel said as they followed the old man.

They took the elevator and stopped on the fourth floor. "I believe your friend chose this floor because the views are more impressive from here. Completely unobstructed view of the Flatiron Mountains." The old man opened the door of the last room in the hallway and Sam went in. He followed her with the luggage and then he realized that Daniel was still in the hallway. "Is anything wrong, Dr. Jackson?"

"I'll wait here until we go to the other room," he replied.

"Other room? Are you expecting more company? I'm afraid General O'Neill only made reservations for the two of you. He specifically requested this room, but he made no arrangements for any other guests."

Daniel thought about explaining the situation, but soon reconsidered. He was too tired and he was willing to sleep on the floor if it was necessary. He smiled and went into the room. He gave a tip to the old man and closed the door.

"Daniel?" Sam asked from behind him.

"I don't know what Jack was thinking or why he's not here… yet, I hope, but it's too late and we can't even call him to find out. Let's figure out a way to share this room for tonight and tomorrow we'll get better arrangements. I'm dying, Sam."

"Okay, you're right. Why don't you get the bathroom first? I already took a nap in the car."

"All right," he answered and opened his bag to get his toiletries. "See if you can find Jack's message."

After Daniel went to take his shower, Sam searched around for any signs of a message from Jack, but she could not find any. She was as astonished as Daniel. Jack had organized the whole trip, he had made the reservations, and he had pestered them until he was certain the two were coming, and, now, he was not there.

She lay on top of the bed while she thought about it. She closed her eyes and let her body accommodate to the soft feeling of the sumptuous duvet comforter that covered the bed. It was a big four-poster bed, king size for certain. Its dark wood perfectly fit in the room decorated in soft earth tones. It was a very spacious and soothing room. She could have a very relaxing weekend there, without even getting out of the room, but first they had to fix the problem of Daniel's accommodations. She decided she would share the bed with him for the night. She was sure that he would offer to sleep on the chaise by the side of the bed or even on the floor, but that would be unfair. This was his vacation, too, and besides, they had slept side by side on hundreds of occasions during missions.

A few minutes later, Daniel was back from his shower. Sam explained her idea and Daniel protested for a short while. When Sam came back from her shower, he was already sleeping deeply on his side of the bed. Sam did not give it a second thought and went to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – II. Day Two** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day Two**

**Chapter 1**

She woke up in the morning as soon as the first rays of the sun filtered through the long curtains in the window. She turned around and noticed that Daniel had already gotten up. She felt a strange sensation of abandonment, as if it had been wrong for Daniel to leave the bed before she woke up. She heard some noises coming from the bathroom and a few seconds later he returned to the room.

"Hey. I hope I didn't wake you," he said as he approached in a long fluffy robe. Sam looked at him in surprise because she had never seen him wearing anything like that. He noticed what she was paying attention to and added, "This one has a _'D'_ embroidered on the pocket. There's another one on that armchair over there. It's not navy blue, but white, and it has an _'S' _in the pocket. First I thought they were towels and then I realized they were robes, for us."

She jumped out of the bed and went to check the other robe. Daniel was right. They had been especially embroidered with the initials of their names. She knew that had to have been a deliberate act, not a coincidence.

"This is looking weirder by the minute," she said.

"You don't know how much," he added. "I already tried calling Jack and his secretary told me that he'd be out of reach until Tuesday."

"Tuesday?"

"Yes."

"Did she say where he was?"

"No, she said it was sensitive information that couldn't be given over an unsecured line."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"No, I also called the front desk-"

"And where was I while you were doing all these things?"

"You were sleeping. I called from the bathroom, after I read the newspaper."

"There's a phone in the bathroom?"

"Yes, and that one over there is a three-line cordless portable speakerphone."

"Wow, this is definitely not the kind of hotel Jack usually chooses for us. What do you think is going on? He doesn't even like to use wireless phones."

"This isn't his style in anything, except for the big screen TV over there, that has cable and probably all the hockey games available in this country."

"So, what happened when you called the front desk?"

"I didn't want to make an issue about the fact that we weren't married, so I called and asked if I could make a reservation for a friend who would be here tonight and they said no."

"No?"

"Yes, they said they're full because of the Saint Patrick's celebration. They even offered to help me find another nice hotel for my friend."

"You don't need to do that, Daniel. We'll be fine. We've had to share worse places to sleep before."

"Are you sure? I don't mind moving out to another hotel."

"Don't be silly. What would be the fun if we were not even in the same hotel? We'll be okay."

The telephone interrupted Sam. Daniel picked up and talked for a few seconds and then hung up. "It seems that we're late for our treatments at the spa," he said in an incredulous tone.

"But it's just past 6:30 in the morning," Sam complained.

"They're expecting us. If we don't hurry up we won't be ready to go to the pub for lunch before the parade," Daniel added very sarcastically.

"Do you think this can get worse?"

"Always," he smiled at her and then added, "Come on, I have the coffee machine going. Let's have a cup before we go down."


	4. Chapter 4

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – II. Day Two** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day Two**

**Chapter 2**

Daniel came back to the room much earlier than Sam. He had enjoyed at least eighty minutes of Swedish and deep tissue massage and then he had endured his first –and probably his last– _'gentlemen's facial'_ ever. Then he had gone through _'The Hiker's Delight'_, a series of pressuring touches in his hands and feet called reflexology. He was not very willing to admit it, but he was feeling far better than the day before. The last weeks in the battle against the Ori had taken a great toll on all the members of SG-1. He had been exhausted, but now he felt relaxed.

He opened the doors to the balcony and stepped out. The fresh mountain air hit him in the face. He probably could enjoy it in Colorado Springs, too, but, considering that he spent most of the time underground in Cheyenne Mountain or on other planets, this was his chance to take advantage. He went back into the suite and picked up a book he had left on top of the table. There were some nice looking stools on the balcony, but he wanted something more comfortable. He tried taking out a chair, but finally settled on picking up the small armchair by the side of the sofa and taking it out. He was still sitting there, reading his book under the sun, when Sam came back near midday.

"Wow! That's an amazing view," she said as she approached him. She stopped for a minute near the handrail of the balcony looking at the mountain range in front of her.

"How was your appointment?" Daniel asked.

"Pretty good, if I have to be honest. Some well spent five hours. I hadn't done anything like this in ages."

"Did you get a massage?"

"I got something called _'Day of Decadence'_ if I understood correctly," she explained. "First I got an exfoliating sugar scrub with Babassu palm oil, then a full body aromatherapy massage, a facial, a pedicure, and a manicure, while I was eating fruits and cheeses with champagne."

"Sounds even better then mine. Are you sure you want to go out instead of taking a nap or something?"

"I'm feeling great. Let's go."

"I checked the pub on the Internet. It's very near," Daniel said as he got ready to leave.

The Conor O'Neill Traditional Irish Pub was less than two minutes away from the hotel. Sam was surprised to see that its façade was blue. Somehow she had expected a green building. Daniel quickly explained that it was the color of Saint James Gate, in Dublin. Soon after they entered they saw a group of street signs in the middle of the room, pointing at directions meaningful to the owners of the place. Sam and Daniel kept walking until they got to the Tree Room, where the bagpipers were playing. They sat at a small table near the stage –one of the few left– and soon were looking at the menu.

Daniel had had no breakfast, so he ordered an Irish cheese plate. Sam chose an O'Neill green salad and Daniel smiled. He ordered a salmon salad for himself and, as soon as the waiter left them, he asked, "Do you miss him?"

"Who?"

"Oh, come on, Sam. Everything around here reminds us of Jack."

"Oh! Well, I thought he'd be here."

"You mean for the weekend or here waiting for us at the restaurant?"

"Either."

"I don't think he's coming. I don't understand what's going on, if he thinks this is some kind of joke, or if he's trying to force us to take a vacation, but I seriously doubt that he's coming."

"Why do you think he did this? Do you think he was planning on coming and then something came up?"

"The truth? No. I think he planned it this way from the beginning."

"Why?"

"I have no idea. We'll have to wait and ask him."

For a while they ate in silence. After the salads, Daniel had a Traditional Lamb Stew and Sam had a Dubliner Sandwich. Slowly they started a conversation again, but Daniel tried to avoid going back to Jack. He was bothered by the fact that Sam was not enjoying the trip because of his absence and for a while he thought that if Jack had come, he probably would have left them alone after the first day. It was obvious to him that Sam had seen the trip as an opportunity to be near Jack. His long-standing belief that Sam was in love with Jack became stronger. He suddenly felt sick and was overwhelmed by the desire to be back home. He just wanted the whole Boulder affair to be over. He was going to have a long conversation with Jack as soon as he could get in touch with him.

A short while before one in the afternoon, both teammates decided to have a little tour of the pub. They visited a room dedicated to the Irish hero Michael Collins, an area about Gaelic Football, the Distillery area –where Daniel explained her the Irish origin of the word _'whiskey'_– and the Cottage room. Sam particularly enjoyed the Snug, a replica of the only room in an authentic Irish pub where the ladies were allowed. Daniel preferred to look at the replica of the carvings from the megalithic Newgrange Burial Chamber.

Right on time they stepped outside and had a chance to watch the World's Shortest Saint Patrick's Parade that initiated its march exactly in front of the pub. Bagpipe bands and Irish dancers were the main attraction. Afterwards they walked for hours around town, getting to know different landmarks of Boulder. On their way back, Sam asked to stop at the Pearl Street Mall, where she entertained herself looking for a present for Cassie among the multiple crafts and pieces of art available. Daniel left her for a while as he lost himself in a very old bookstore. When they reunited, they had a soda in one of the sidewalk cafés. By the time they got back to the hotel with the treasures they had acquired, they were both exhausted.

"I think I'll go to the gym for a while," Daniel said as he entered the room and started taking out some training clothes from his bag. He changed in the bathroom and before leaving the room he added, "I'll be back in a couple of hours, unless you want to do something else."

"No, that's fine. I'll take a long bath," she said.

Daniel left the room feeling very uncomfortable. He was not able to determine precisely what was bothering him so much. He had always felt comfortable being with Sam, but all of a sudden there was some kind of tension between them that he could not understand. He exercised hard for at least an hour, and after a brief shower in the Fitness Center, he went to the swimming pool and threw himself in the water with unusual violence. At that time of the evening the place was deserted and he felt relieved by that fact. He could not imagine what other people would have thought of the crazy tourist who had just slammed himself into the water. He could not stop thinking about Sam. That was his problem. He had been analyzing the situation from every possible angle and the conclusion he had arrived at had left him even in a worse place than before. He was jealous. He was awfully jealous of Jack. He swam the length of the two-lane pool one more time and finally stepped into the whirlpool trying to forget.


	5. Chapter 5

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – II. Day Two** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day Two**

**Chapter 3**

As soon as Daniel left the room, Sam looked at herself in the full size mirror. What was wrong with her?

She went into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the soak-in tub. She could not decide whether to indulge into a long warm bath or to take a brief shower in the glass and stone stall. She finally opted for the bath and soon was inside the tub enjoying the warm water and the bubbles surrounding her.

She was mad. She was so mad. She had to tell him how mad she was or she would choke. Who did he think he was?

She stayed inside the water until it started cooling. Then, she got out and selected some of the nice products from the counter to wash her hair. After she was finished, she used the hair dryer for a while to get her hair ready to go to bed. When she got back into the bedroom, she got a soda from the mini-bar and sat on the bed with the TV's remote control in her other hand.

She was going to tell him as soon as he came back. No matter how long they had been friends or how much she cared for him, he had to understand she was a woman, too, not just a soldier, and the fact that he could flirt with almost every woman in town while he was with her was extremely annoying. Daniel had to see it from her point of view, too.


	6. Chapter 6

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – II. Day Two** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day Two**

**Chapter 4**

By the time Daniel came back, Sam had dozed off with the TV on. She was startled when the door opened and slowly sat up in bed as he walked in. He was soaked, not only his hair, but also his whole body was completely wet. His T-shirt and his training shorts hung from him as if painted on his skin. Sam was still not fully alert when the deep wave of arousal ran through her. She sat up straight and held her face in her hands. She was thunderstruck. She had felt desire for her best friend?

Daniel noticed the gesture from the corner of his eye and interpreted that she was feeling ill. He rushed to her side and kneeled on the floor by the bed.

"Are you all right? Are you feeling sick?"

Sam uncovered her face and looked at him to tell him she was okay. The image of Daniel so close to her, dripping water in a state of semi-undress, hit her again and another wave of desire coursed through her. "Oh, my god!" was all she could say.

"What? Are you in pain?" Daniel asked with even more concern.

"No, no, it's not that. What- what happened to you?"

"Oh, I just went swimming with my clothes on," he answered without hesitation. "Tell me, Sam. What's going on?"

"Nothing. It's just that… I think I was sleeping when you opened the door. I just felt confused. I don't know what I was really thinking," she tried to explain. She felt guilty about not telling the truth to Daniel, but there were some things that could not be told. Besides, she had probably been dreaming and she had not really been fully awake when she felt _that_.

"Well, I'll take another shower and get dressed to go to bed. Do you want to watch something or are you ready to go to sleep?" he started getting up and then he leaned closer to her and kissed her forehead as he held her hand. "You can tell me when I come back."

It felt more intense than before and this time she was completely awake. There were no excuses or possible rationalizations. She might not have considered it earlier, but now she had to face it. She had shivered from head to toe even before Daniel's lips touched her forehead.

"I'm sorry. I must be very cold to the touch. I'll be back soon," her friend said and entered the bathroom with a pile of clothes.

The image of Daniel getting into the shower grabbed her by surprise. If she had rejected the notion until a second before, now it was incontrovertible. She was fully aroused by him. Over the years she had never, never, felt the most minimal inclination toward him. Now his image felt erotic to her even with all his clothes on and her imagination was working overtime to divest him from those constraints.

She held her face in her hands again. What was she going to do?

A little while later, Daniel came back dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt just as he had the night before. She had not thought anything of it then. Now, it rekindled the feelings she had been having since he came back from the gym.

He got in bed and looked at her. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, Daniel, I'm fine. I just hadn't noticed how tired I was."

"So, you want to go directly to sleep?"

"No," she replied suddenly scared of getting closer to him during the night. "Let's watch a movie."

She did not pay much attention to the movie. Later on she would not even remember what it was.

She spent the whole time analyzing her feelings for Daniel. She knew how much she loved him, but she could not find an explanation for her sudden physical attraction for him. If she thought about it, there was a connection between that and how bothered she had been because of his flirting. In all honesty, he had not really flirted. The women around him had been flirting _with_ him and he had let it happen as cluelessly as always.

By the time the movie ended she felt better. She had found a more rational explanation for her feelings. First, she had come on this trip to see Jack. She actually wanted to know if she could find a clue as to why all those years of secret longing and furtive looks had suddenly ended as he left for Washington. Right then, when everything could have finally become reality and nobody could have objected, the whole relationship had turned almost icy.

She had been deeply disappointed when he did not show up and she had unconsciously turned to Daniel for comfort. If she could not have Jack, at least she had Daniel's friendship and his undivided attention, as always. Exactly then is when she had seen the daily Daniel, the one she did not get to see often, the one who played some sort of mating game with every woman who was interested. Never going too far, just there where it was not dangerous. One of these days he was going to willingly cross the limit and Sam would be left with nothing. No Jack's love. No Daniel's friendship. Oh, come on; Daniel would always be her friend. He just would not be _exclusively _hers as he had been all these years. After Sha're, no other woman had gotten that close to him. She was the only one now, but when they finally got rid of the threats to the universe –she saw it that way lately– he would set out to find himself a woman to have the family she knew he wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – III. Day Three** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day Three**

**Chapter 1**

The next morning started sooner than she thought. Daniel had set the alarm clock very early because he wanted to go to the mountains. The hotel was just across the street from the Boulder's main hike and bike path that would take them into the Boulder Canyon and Daniel had already made a call to rent a couple of bikes. Sam had not done anything like that in a long time, but she thought that she would be at least in physical shape to try it. The clerk at the Bike Rental offered them a golf outing too and they politely refused. Then he showed them the best places for fly-fishing and Sam thought Daniel seemed upset. She guessed that he was still disappointed that Jack had not come with them and let it go.

They took the Creek Path and up from Boulder Canyon they found North Boulder Creek Falls. The place was beautiful and they set up to have a quick early lunch. Sam was surprised by the planning skills of Daniel, who had taken care of the food and drinks for the trip. She thought that years in the SGC would have trained him, but then she remembered that long before she had met him, he had had a life spent in digs and encampments. For a while, as they ate in silence, trying to take a break from the long ride, Sam kept thinking of all the aspects of Daniel's life she never got to see. What was he like everyday when he was not overwhelmed by worry and fatigue? How would it be to spend an afternoon with him when they did not have to discuss strategies to avoid impending universal doom? How would he behave if he spent the night in her house and he was not there just because he had been hurt and needed care or because they were both too tired to even drive further? What was he like in bed?

Her last thought made her blush deeply. She immediately looked at Daniel to see if he had noticed, but he was entertained following the route of a small insect on the ground. She suddenly imagined his brain theorizing about the social behavior of the Colorado ants. She laughed unintentionally.

"What?" Daniel asked looking at her.

"What were you thinking?" she asked back.

"Nothing important. Just about the behavioral patterns of some insects."

"I knew it!"

"You knew it?"

"Yes!" she said triumphantly with a big smile. "I know you too well, Daniel."

"We never know anyone too well. You'd never guess the thoughts I have sometimes," he said, changing the tone of the conversation to more serious one.

"Like what?"

"It doesn't matter," he said and started getting up to avoid ending the talk. "If we want to go rafting or kayaking we'd better go now. We can even try some climbing," he added as he put all the remains of their picnic in his backpack. "Let's go, Sam." He offered his hand to her and helped her get up. She was intrigued by his words and she spent the rest of the day trying to figure them out.

When they arrived back at the hotel it was late in the afternoon and they had a message in the room saying they had missed their spa appointments.

"If anyone would have been kind enough to tell us we _had _more appointments, we wouldn't have missed them," Daniel said to the clerk as he apologized. Finally they were offered the last appointments of the day, and feeling as tired as they were after all their physical activity, they both gladly agreed.

They had quick showers and went down the lobby where they enjoyed complimentary hors d'oeuvres as they waited by the fireplace.

Sam looked around and admired the different textures of the room; granite, sandstones, slate. "This is a beautiful place," she said. "Sometimes, when I'm too tired and I think I'm done with saving the world," she whispered to Daniel, "I become selfish and think we deserve to be treated better once in a while."

Daniel chuckled. "Sam, we're human; no matter what our job, we feel that way sometimes. I'd say Jack read your mind and gave us this weekend," he smiled.

"Yeah, but now that we have it, I feel guilty about it."

"I bet you Jack paid for this from his own pocket. We can think of ways for making it up to him, but now that we're here, we'd better enjoy it."

"You're right," she said.

A few minutes later it was time for their spa treatment. First they had to choose between an aromatherapy session in the steam room or the sauna. After Daniel reminded Sam of his allergies, they opted for the sauna. Because of the late hour, they were alone in the room and Sam found it hard to concentrate on Daniel's light conversation. She knew he was talking about the healing properties of thermal waters, but she had a conversation of her own going on in her head. She kept wondering about her new feelings for him and trying to find answers as to why everything had changed so suddenly. During the day it had been easier to forget about it, especially when they were engaged in physical activities that required their complete attention. Now that they were relaxed and alone, everything had come rushing back to her. Daniel, sitting right in front of her covered only by a small white towel, was not helping the situation.

After the sauna they separated and Sam decided to use the time to try and figure it out. The lady in charge of her massage explained to her that she had been signed up for a _Lulur_, a beauty ritual supposedly given in Java to brides-to-be forty days before their wedding. Sam smiled. Sure, any time soon. In forty days she would not have any more candidates to marry her than she had now, which meant she would have none. Particularly now that she had found out what she felt for Daniel. Her thoughts were interrupted by the masseuse, who explained that she would start with an Asian massage of jasmine oil. Afterwards, a light scrub would be removed with cool yogurt to allow Sam to enjoy a petal bath and an application of jasmine lotion. Usually, Sam would have left before even starting such a treatment, but she was feeling the need to be more feminine and she just stayed.

While she underwent the Lulur, Sam kept thinking about her friend. She pinpointed all the moments in the last years that could have indicated that she was falling in love with Daniel and, as she put them together in a mental picture, she was amazed that she had not understood it before. She had even tried to tell him when he was dying after Kelowna. _That_ was what she had never told him; _that_ was what she had hoped he always knew.

Daniel had definitely changed her over the years, since the day she had met him. She admired him passionately and she was willing to die for him. However, she had always thought that what connected them was the love of friends. All her romantic and sexual feelings had been monopolized mostly by Jack. She wondered why and, after a long analysis, she concluded that she had been responding to Jack's attention. He flirted with her and she enjoyed it. It made her feel desired and very feminine. Daniel always kept his place and treated her like an equal, almost like a sister.

She discovered that she had never actually expected to end up having a romance with Jack. The rational part of her had always known they would not be compatible in their daily lives; they hardly were when part of the same team. Though she had heard more than once in the base that many people believed she was –or she had, or she would be– dating Jack, she had always dismissed the idea. After Jack had left for Washington she had felt abandoned in a certain way, but now all those feelings had disappeared, because she was with Daniel. Now that there was no Jack obstructing the view with his game, she could clearly see what she wanted. She wanted Daniel.

Now, the problem was whether to fight for it or to accept his lack of interest. She was a nice woman and she knew she was at least attractive. Many men had fallen for her before. Could she make Daniel look at her in a different way? Did she want to do it?


	8. Chapter 8

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – III. Day Three** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day Three**

**Chapter 2**

Daniel went to his hydrotherapy deep in thought. He had been asked to bring his bathing suit and because he had not brought one for the trip, he had had to buy a new one in a store across the street. He was sorry that he had made the attendant wait, but he had not had a choice. His session was called _'Healing Waters'_ and it consisted of an underwater massage while in a mineral bath with essential oils. He enjoyed it, but he could not shake the image of Sam out of his mind. She seemed different. There was something worrying her and he could not determine precisely what. After much consideration, he decided to approach it in a direct manner. He was going to ask her what was bothering her when they went back to their bedroom.

As he was receiving his scalp massage he mulled over his other problem. Was he going to tell her about the weird feelings he had been having lately? How was he going to bring up that topic? _Hey,_ _Sam. I've been feeling jealous of the way you feel for Jack. Any chance you can realize I'm a man, too?_ No, the direct approach was not going to work at all.

After he was done, he was offered the use of the hot tub for a while. His wife, he was informed, still had a while until she was finished. As he sat in the warm water, he could not keep from imagining how much better it would be if Sam were there with him. Was he in love with her? He wondered. He was used to having her by his side all the time and he was probably afraid that if she started a relationship with Jack, he would lose her. She would probably end up moving to Washington now that Jack had sold his house in Colorado.

He had almost lost her before, when she had gone to Nevada as he prepared to leave for Atlantis. The difference was that she had done it for Cassie. No Jack involved in the change. If she left now, she would be Jack's and never his again. His? She had never been his. He chastised himself. He was very confused. All these feelings were new to him and he did not know how to handle them. At least he was not lusting over her.


	9. Chapter 9

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – III. Day Three** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day Three**

**Chapter 3**

"Your husband is waiting for you outside," a clerk informed Sam as she left the salon. She chuckled. _'Her husband'_. It sounded nice, especially if she thought of the beautiful pair of blue eyes that came with the package.

"Are you done?" he asked as she came out.

"Yep. What are we doing?"

"Are you hungry?"

"Not really."

"I'm not either. Why don't we go to the bar here, T-Zero I think it is, and have a couple of drinks."

"Sounds good. You don't think I'm a bit underdressed for it though?"

"You look stunning as always, Sam. Don't worry about that. Let's go."

They went into the bar. It was animated and loud. It looked as if it was a Saturday night meeting place for young people in town. They sat down at a small table and ordered a couple of drinks, nothing too heavy.

"Do you ever wonder about all these things that we miss while we're doing our job?" Daniel suddenly asked Sam.

"Like what?"

"Like going out with your friends on weekends," he said.

"We go out sometimes."

"I don't just mean going to a restaurant or to a cinema. I mean other things, like dancing, meeting new people, I don't know. We live in this little world of four."

"It's not only the team; we have more friends."

"I just feel weird lately. I think I need something else. Saving the world is fine, but I want something else for me. I may be dead tomorrow."

"Anyone could be dead tomorrow."

"Our odds are far higher than those of most of the rest of the people. How many times a week do you think, let's say, Pete, gets shot at while working?"

"I'd say not very often." Sam answered.

"How many times did we get fired at in the last weeks?"

Sam remembered the ugly days of the first major confrontation with the Ori and shivered. "I think you're right."

"Yeah."

"So, what do you want?"

"I'm not sure yet. That's the problem. I can't decide if it would be responsible to start anything with someone just to die on her the following week."

"Oh, you mean you want a relationship."

"Yes."

"Have you chosen with whom yet?" Sam asked feeling almost scared.

"I've had someone in my mind lately, but I don't think I have many chances."

Sam felt suddenly devastated. She mustered all her courage and asked, "Why not?"

"She doesn't even see me."

"How couldn't she?" Sam said without thinking. "I mean, you're a great man, Daniel. Everybody cares about you. I'm sure she _does_ see you."

"Not that way and, besides, let's not talk about her tonight. We're enjoying this time together," Daniel said feeling dangerously close to getting his secret discovered.

Sam was very curious, but she let it go because she did not want to upset him. In any case, now she knew she could not say anything about her feelings.

After they finished their drinks, they went back upstairs. The massages had been nice, but the day had been very tiring. Daniel changed in the room while Sam took the bathroom. When she came back out, ready to go to bed, she caught Daniel sitting on the side of the bed with his wallet in his hand looking at a couple of pictures inside of it. He seemed very deep in thought and he did not notice she had stepped into the room. She felt in a playful mood and decided to try and surprise him.

"What do you have here?" she said as she snatched the wallet from his hand and smiled.

First he looked upset, but in a second he stood up and tried to get his wallet back as he smiled at her, too.

"Nothing. Just give it back, Sam," he said.

She moved fast and evaded him. He turned around and tried to grab it again and she avoided him one more time. Then she started opening the wallet. Daniel was approaching her again, decided to stop her, when she began running. He chased her playfully around the spacious room and even followed her walking over the bed in his attempt to recover the wallet. Very soon, he caught up with her and grabbed her from behind. Sam could have elbowed him in the stomach or she could have freed herself from him in many different ways, but that would have ended the fun. She just let him hold her by the waist as she tried to open the wallet for the last time. In order to stop her, he got closer to her and held her tightly against himself with one hand around her waist. He had his face against the side of her neck and he was still breathing heavily because of the chase. He took a second to recover his breath and stretched his other hand to reach his wallet as he softly said, "Give it back, Sam."

The moment his breath reached her neck, Sam felt goose bumps from head to toe. A wave of desire moved swiftly through her body and without any control over her actions, she leaned her head backwards over Daniel's shoulder and moaned.

He felt paralyzed. His body immediately responded to Sam, but his mind was unsure of the situation. He slowly lowered the hand that was trying to grab the wallet and without any other movements, he asked very softly, "Sam?"

Sam stayed immobile, with her eyes closed, just about to cry. She felt embarrassed and she could not find any words to explain to Daniel what had happened without revealing what she had been feeling. His voice sent another message to her body and she shivered. "Oh, Daniel," was all she could whisper and then she sighed.

She expected Daniel to push her away from him and demand an explanation. Instead, he took the wallet from her hand and let it drop on the carpet. He then held her hand and moved it to join the one he still had on her waist. As she did not resist and kept leaning on him with her eyes closed, he felt emboldened and lowered his head slightly until he kissed the side of her neck. Just once, softly.

Sam added a new definition to the expression _'on fire'_ in her vocabulary. "Oh, my God," she said this time and moved her head slightly so that he could have better access to her neck. Daniel answered by kissing it slowly, gently, more and more passionately, but still cautiously, ready to end everything with one word from her. She was not about to say it. She was afraid that anything she might say could destroy the mirage and Daniel would go back to being _only_ her best friend.

He leisurely moved his mouth on her nape, alternatively kissing, lightly licking it, and blowing small puffs of hot air on it. Sam felt some kind of hysterical desire to laugh as if he were tickling her with four hands, but remained still, breathing with difficulty, as he continued giving her pleasure. Slowly he reached her collarbone and included small bites in his routine. Sam was quivering so strongly that he stretched his fingers over her torso to keep her still. He patiently moved his hands on top of her pajamas until one was immediately below her waist and the other one right under her breasts. Sam pressed backwards over him and felt his body respond. His breath hitched slightly and he gasped softly, before continuing his task.

He followed the line of her collarbone with his lips, pushing the collar of the pajama top with his mouth to reach her shoulder. He discovered she had no bra under the top and shivered. He lowered the hand that had been under her breasts until he reached the edge of the pajama. While he kept nuzzling her neck, he tentatively slid the tips of his fingers under it and Sam trembled. Daniel felt afraid that he had gone too far. They had not said a word since this had started and he was not sure of how they had gotten there. He raised his head slightly and whispered right by Sam's ear, "Sam?" as if asking for directions.

Sam had been simply enjoying the novel intimate connection with Daniel and had carefully avoided thinking about it. When she heard Daniel's question, she decided it was her time to act and she softly turned in his arms. They were facing each other now, extremely close, breathing heavily. She stretched her hand up and caressed the nape of his neck. Daniel closed his eyes and arched backwards against her hand. She pushed his head downward and kissed him.


	10. Chapter 10

**FOUR DAYS OF CELESTINO – IV. Day Four** by Betty Bokor  
Sam/Daniel. Daniel and Sam share a Saint Patrick's weekend.  
Spoilers: All seasons, including 9 and 10.  
Disclaimer: The Stargate original characters belong to MGM/Showtime, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Film Corp. This was written strictly for the purpose of entertainment. No attempt at copyright infringement has been made.

**Day Four**

**Chapter 1**

Sam woke up nestled against Daniel's body. The warmth of his skin felt utterly pleasurable behind her back. She was not sure whether he was awake or not, but she did not feel like moving. They had not said more than a few words while they were making love –almost all night long– and all those words had been strictly related to what they were physically experiencing. Most of the time they had guided each other through their exploration with looks and soft touches. They had kept all the lights around the bed on and they had enjoyed the visual journey as much as the tactile one.

They had tried as many experiences as they had dared propose to each other without saying a word. She was certain she now possessed a comprehensive knowledge of the art of lovemaking, far broader than she ever thought it could be and still not complete. She should have known Daniel would have incorporated practices from the different cultures he had studied throughout his life. He was always willing to try their food and go native; this was just one more aspect of it.

The only thing that scared her was that this could have been an _'one only'_ experience. What would she do if when they finally talked about it, Daniel decided that had been the beginning and the end of it?

Daniel's arm stretching over her shoulder toward the nightstand startled her. "Do you want your glasses?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"Sorry," he said. "I thought you were still sleeping. It's late and the voice mail light is flashing. We probably missed something else."

"Oh," Sam said and stretched herself to press the button. Two messages were announced and they both expected to hear the voice of the front desk clerk as she pressed the next bottom.

"Good morning, campers!" was the first sentence of the message and Sam and Daniel almost sat up in surprise at Jack's voice. "I hope this nice morning finds the two of you still in bed together, as in together in bed, you know what I mean. And if you don't know what I mean, it'd say this is the right time for me to simply say, _Oh, for crying out loud_!" Jack took a second as he was recording to reorder his thoughts and then asked more softly, "What are you kids waiting for now? Are you nuts? As my old friend Chas once said, _Wake up and smell the coffee, Daniel!_ Even_ I _know how much you two love each other. Why is it taking so long for two geniuses to figure it out? D'uh! I'm just saying, 'cause now that I'm far from both of you, I can see things more clearly. That's why I thought you needed a little time away on your own. I'm sure you've figured me out by now, so-"

The message was interrupted and Sam and Daniel remained immobile for a few seconds. Then Sam pressed the button again and they listened attentively.

"Crap! This thing doesn't have much space. Never mind. Okay! Back to the ranch. I really hope I'm not mistaken and you already have it figured it out. I had a little talk with Landry yesterday and the team is not needed back until Tuesday afternoon. You have until checkout time at 11:00 on Tuesday morning. No need to thank me. Anytime, yeah, sure, you betcha. Listen; call me when you have a minute. The suspense is killing me."

As the message finished, Daniel chuckled and then sighed. "Well, that's one conversation that will go very differently than I thought."

"What do you mean?" Sam said as she grabbed the sheet to turn around and look at Daniel.

"I thought _this_," he said signaling both of them with his hand, "would be very hard to explain to Jack, but it looks like I was wrong. Pass me the phone and we'll try calling him again. Maybe this time he'll answer."

"Wait!" Sam said. "We haven't talked about _this_ ourselves."

Daniel slid a little bit lower under the covers to be able to hug Sam and he brought her up to him with his arms. "I know I usually use many words to explain myself, but this time I think I've told you everything I feel for you with my body, Sam. It all came from my soul. I may be mistaken, but I felt you were trying to say the same. There are times when no words are needed and last night was one of those times for me."

He pressed his forehead against hers and kissed her nose. She could feel his heart beating fast against her chest and the level of excitement rose quickly through her body.

He lifted a hand and caressed her jaw gently. She moved her lips towards his hand and kissed it. "I only want to say how much I love you, Daniel," she whispered as she grazed the length of his thigh with her knuckles.

Daniel raised his leg over hers and locked it behind her thigh so that she could feel his whole body responding to her touch as they kissed. He then embraced her more tightly and whispered back, "I love you, too, Sam. I love you, too."

Sam lightly stroked his hip with her fingertips and then lowered her head to kiss his chest. He drew in a sharp breath and arched back in pleasure.

Near midday Daniel finally grabbed the phone and tried calling Jack's cell. When he answered, Daniel felt at a loss of words.

"Jack?" he asked in spite of knowing who was on the other side of the line.

"Daniel?" Jack asked in his sarcastic mode.

"Hey, Jack."

"Hey to you, Daniel. Anything special to tell me?"

"Kind of. Sam and I-"

"Ah, sweet, Sam is there."

"Yes, Sam is here."

"Close to you."

"Yes, close to me."

"Very close to you or just medium?"

"Jaaack," Daniel warned.

"Fine, peachy. I'll have to leave it to my imagination."

"Jack, this is serious. We wanted to tell you that you were right."

"Ha! I knew it!"

"Jack," Daniel warned again. "This is very important for us."

"Ya think?"

"Are you going to be this way all day?"

"Nah, that's okay. I'm just happy that you had to recognize I was right, you know."

Daniel chuckled and then said, "I know."

"So, what'cha doing now? Anything cool?"

"Nothing. Just resting."

"Ah, resting. That's a good sign that you need to rest."

"Yesterday we went biking and hiking, kayaking and rafting, Jack."

"Oh, there's not a chance in hell you'll sell that one to me, Spacemonkey. More importantly, it doesn't matter."

"So, are you okay with this?"

"It's a little weird, but yeah, I'm fine. Now we need a big an' honking party to celebrate."

"I don't know about that, Jack. We haven't even discussed what comes next."

"Oy..."

"What?"

"It's just that if you two have to discuss it, it will take forever."

Daniel laughed. "I promise it won't. I'll call you when we go back to the base."

"Okay. Give a kiss to Carter from me."

"I will."

"Sure you will."

"Jack."

"Okay, okay. Also thank Walter when you see him."

"Walter? What does he have to do with any of this?"

"Do you think I'm capable of making all those arrangements, including spa appointments?"

"It did seem a bit out of character, but why Walter? What does he know?"

"Walter knows everything, believe me. He helped me with all this last weekend."

"Are you ready to go to the pool?" Sam asked as she came out of the bathroom.

"The pool? You're going swimming together, Danny-boy?" Jack asked as he heard her.

"Yes, Jack, we're going to the hotel swimming pool. Why?"

"You should do it in the training pool at the base."

"Why?"

"People would see you there together."

"And?"

"It would make it easier to collect my winnings on the bet."

"What bet?"

"Nothing important."

"Jaaack!"

"Just remember one thing next time you go to the pool-"

"What?"

"Ours is bigger."

Daniel hung up the phone trying to decide if he had just had a conversation with one of his best friends or with a three-year old child, but he knew that without Jack's intervention he probably would have never discovered how he really felt about Sam. Jack had been right. They had needed a time out, away from the daily worries at the SGC, in a place where they were anonymous and where they could relax while still being together.

After a good swim in the pool, Daniel and Sam walked quietly around town for a short while, holding hands most of the time as if they were a couple of teenagers who had just fallen in love. They both knew they would not be able to behave that way in Colorado Springs, though probably Jack had already arranged for the SGC to accept their new relationship.

Before dinner they went by the spa to receive their last treatment, a full body hot stone massage. Sam stayed longer and got a moisturizing buttermilk and honey wrap, but Daniel vehemently refused to get one. When she went back up to their room, she found him leaning over the ironing board with an iron in his hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I thought we could have dinner at the restaurant downstairs. My suit is in pretty bad shape. Jack said I should bring one, but he didn't explain for what, and when he didn't meet us here, I just left the suit in the bag.

Sam remembered that Jack had asked her to bring a_ 'nice evening gown'_ too, but she had hung hers in the closet as soon as they checked in. She helped Daniel finish his suit and then they changed clothes and went back down.

Jill's Restaurant was as striking as the rest of the hotel, decorated in stunning blond onyx and mahogany. Daniel asked for a table on the terrace from where the view was breathtaking. Soon after the sunset the whole terrace was illuminated with candles and the atmosphere turned intimate. The dinner, served with champagne, was as delicious as they expected. After a sumptuous dessert, they went back to their room.

Daniel put a CD in the alarm clock-radio-CD player on the nightstand and prepared some tea.

"I wish there had been some event in the ballroom. It looked perfect for a romantic evening," he said as he sat on the sofa by Sam's side.

"We can have romance right here," she said with a big smile. "You know, Daniel, I don't have a clue about how we got here."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that if anyone had asked me a week ago if I was in love with you, I would have said _'Heck, no,' _without any hesitation." She heard the way her words sounded as soon as she said them and she apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way. I just didn't see it coming."

"Don't worry, Sam, I understand. I had no idea, either."

"You didn't either?"

"I think we're always too busy to reflect on things like this. After we came here and we became so isolated from work, it was easier to understand feelings that probably had been there, but we hadn't paid attention to before."

"Like what?"

"You won't laugh if I tell you?"

"Of course not."

"Well, on Friday I discovered I was jealous of whatever you and Jack had going on all these years. It bothered me that you missed him."

"We really didn't have anything going on, Daniel. We both believed in our job too much to ever have risked our positions in the Air force."

"From outside it seemed like something, Sam."

"It never got anywhere, seriously."

"I know, but would you have wanted it to go somewhere?"

"I'm not sure. It was a pleasant game, but I had trouble imagining anything after a few dates."

"Do you think it was just physical attraction?"

"I never thought I'd be discussing this with you, actually with anyone, but, now, you deserve the truth. Yeah, there was some attraction. I don't know where it came from, because I didn't like him at all when we first met. I suppose he fit the image I had of a good partner, like my dad had been for my mom until she died. The truth is my dad was hardly ever home and my mom always dealt with everything on her own. She left an abyss in Mark and me when she died. But, I suppose children always idealize their parents in some way."

"Not all children, but you're probably right. I know I've idealized mine a lot. They were always working, but at least they had me there with them all the time. I learned so much from them," Daniel added and then he kept quiet for a while.

"Besides," Sam broke the silence, "in those days, I had to take my mind off this cute little hero of mine."

"Sorry?" Daniel asked lost in the middle of her sentence.

"I was telling you what made me put my sights on Jack and I just added another reason."

"Who was your hero?"

"You! You were this beautiful cuddly creature that needed to be protected."

"Did you really believe that of me?"

"No, but I had this need to protect you. I knew you didn't need it. I just didn't want you to suffer. I'm sure Jack and Teal'c felt the same way. I think they still do."

"But I've tried to prove to them that I don't need to be protected."

"We know, Daniel, we've always known. We just like to do it."

"So if we were alone in an alley and we were attacked, you'd feel you have to defend yourself and protect me while you were at it?"

"I would trust you with my life." She leaned over him and kissed him softly. "We'd all trust you with our lives. Everybody knows that you're brave and strong, and that your strength comes from your inner fortitude." She kissed him again and then added, "And now that we're telling secrets, I have to confess. I had been having these thoughts about the two of us since Friday, too."

"What thoughts?"

"Kind of NC-17 thoughts," she smiled.

"Really?"

"I wouldn't make that up. Hadn't you?"

"Not really."

"Never?"

"Maybe it crossed my mind once in a while, but I hadn't put any thought into it."

"So what made you respond to me last night?" Sam asked, feeling suddenly scared.

"I thought I'd die if I didn't," he smiled. "I don't think I've ever desired anyone that much. It was a sudden and wondrous revelation."

Sam relaxed. "Do you think we've wasted much time not knowing what we felt for each other?"

"No. I think we were not ready before. It happened now and it was right. It was perfect. I'm not going to second-guess it. I'm going to enjoy it."

"Are you going to tell me what were you looking at inside your wallet?" Sam asked all of a sudden with a mischievous smile.

Daniel got the wallet out of his pocket and opened it. He took out a rumpled picture and gave it to her. "Cassie gave it to me last Christmas," he said.

Sam looked at it and saw herself standing by the side of Daniel while they tried to hang a star on top of the Christmas Tree. They were both smiling and San remembered how happy she had been that Daniel has spent the holidays with Cassie and her. Since Janet's death she had spend as much time as possible with the young woman and Daniel had always been there for them.

He got up and put the teacups on the table. He then offered his hand to Sam and she followed him. As they walked by the window, Sam noticed that it was snowing.

"Better," Daniel said with a smile as he enfolded her in his arms. "Now we have a good excuse to spend the day inside. We can order a good breakfast to the room and stay in bed late."

"Anything in particular to do while in bed?" Sam asked with a smile.

"I'm sure we can think of something."

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Any comments? Please, take a minute and give your opinion. It is very important to know what the readers think.


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